A Hot-air War

The Detroit Evcning News is engaged in a warfarc upon the Kuttan-Smend sys tem of heating and ventilation for tlie public schools of that city. And it is quite probable that the Xcws lias struck a liad tliat it can follow up to the advantage of the public that has to pay for all o these things. Two of tlio public schoo buildings of this city ure supplied witl this system. In the first ward it cost the school district $l,S00, in the second ward by a little figuring on the part of some members of the board the price was reduced to $1,500, although tbli reductioi was fiercely fought by certain partios who were determined that the system should be put in at any price. As to the valuc of the system. In the lirst place the manner in whicl) the flues run through the buildings in this city (and we judge it to be the same verywhere) it makes .1 regular fire-trap out o (lm i-onctTIl Qo '" Illi1 fxiint of a iïfo thcro flues would be very apt to carry tlie ttames to all parts of the structure a once. Tlien again in the hrst ward the lua has certaiuly not been sutticicut in the coldest days of the winter, as the hall could not be heated it all. This, o course, might result in the usc of an furnace but ccrtainly ought not to in one costing $1,800 (as ïnuch as the average dwelling liouses cost in our ciiies and villages.) As to the burning up of the accumulations of the water closets. In the coldest of weathcr, when the furnace Is kept constantly lired up, this part works p.iss ably well. But this is not d uring all parts of the year. There are severa! months of quite aun weather, durirjjï which time theconsuniptionof this liltli is left to small furnaees in which fires have to be started purposely for this work, and the result is very unsatisfactorv. as far as we are able to learn. Taken alltoiretlier we should consider the i:nttan-Sincad system not up to the desired standard. It is very cxpensive, costlnf? an immense amount of money (for patents) and ougut to be perfect, but is very far from it.